Mercy
by ChristinaAngel
Summary: What if Harry had shown mercy and Snape had only been hit with one Disarming Spell? He would have been conscious for the entire conversation and he would have found out Sirius' innocence. How would he react to this?
1. Awakening

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Sirius, Remus and Tonks would all be still alive. **

**Warning: OOC, but hopefully not too badly, also starts to get a little AU due to the change I made and also how it works out later. **

**Also for anyone reading my other stories, I know that I have a poll and everything but I just felt this need to post this story but don't worry it's going to be short-ish. **

**This takes place just before Snape is knocked out, literally just before. **

**Edit: Just read it over, added some punctuation and sentences that means it makes more sense. **

**Awakening**

Harry saw the madness in Snape's eyes but still tried desperately for him to see reason once more.

"Please Professor?" He asked quietly and as Snape looked down at him in shock there was a loud shout from behind Harry,

"_Expelliarmus_!" Whipping around he saw Ron had his arm outstretched and Snape's wand flew out of his hand.

"You fool." He breathed, still looking at Harry. More specifically his eyes, almost as in a daze.

"Professor, look." Harry stated firmly. "I know that you and Sirius hated each other in school, but if he and Professor Lupin are telling the truth then jumping to conclusions was what got them here in the first place and so there should definitely be no more of that." There was a hoarse chuckle from behind him.

"You sound more like Lily than James when you use that tone of voice Harry." Sirius said while he knelt down to untie Remus.

"Well it's true." Harry said stubbornly, still using the same tone.

"Fine." Harry turned back to Snape who had his arm crossed. "I will listen." Harry grinned.

"Thanks Professor."

"Yeah that way you don't have to be tied up." Ron piped up with and Snape glowered at him.

"I still haven't forgotten that you were the one who disarmed me Weasley." He growled and then turned to Sirius. "Black say what you have to say and then I'll decide whether I think you're guilty or not."

"You're not my jury Snape." Sirius snarled but turned to Ron anyway. "I need the rat."

"It's not Scabbers. How are you so sure anyway?" Ron said defensively.

"For once in your life that is actually a good question." Snape said silkily turning to Sirius as did Remus. Sirius pulled out the Daily Prophet photo.

"I knew it was him from the number of times we had seen him transform. And look at his front paw."

"It's missing a toe." Remus said with dawning comprehension in his voice. Ron looked like he was about to disagree but Snape interrupted him.

"That does help prove your version of events Black. The largest part of Pettigrew found was his finger and he cut it off and blew up the street so that it looked like he died in the explosion. But what I don't understand is why. After all you were their Secret-Keeper Black, you were the one looking at prison." Snape explained.

"He said he did it. You said you had killed them, before Lupin showed up!" Harry asked Sirius angrily whose eyes now looked at him sadly.

"I as good as did. I convinced them to change Secret-Keepers to Peter, thinking myself too obvious. I thought it was a great plan but I didn't plan on the spy in the Order being Peter himself. I went to check on him the night they died and when I found his hiding place empty with no signs of a struggle I somehow knew. So I went to Godric's Hollow and when I found their bodies, I knew what he had done. What I had done." Sirius' voice broke and he turned away.

"And the only ones who knew the truth were you, Potter, Pettigrew and Lily. So of course you did the Gryffindor thing and went after Pettigrew." Snape sneered and Remus stepped in before Sirius could retort.

"Not the time Severus. There's only one way this can be proved, Ron I need that rat. If he isn't Peter then this spell won't hurt him." Remus assured Ron as he took the rat from him. "Together Sirius?" Together they pointed their wands at the rat who was surrounded by blue white light until he started to grow into a man.

"Peter Pettigrew." Snape confirmed everyone's thoughts. He had walked across and retrieved his wand but held it at his side rather than pointed at anyone.

"Snape." Pettigrew squeaked. "Sirius, Remus he's a Death Eater. The mark of his arm." Peter begged and Snape smiled thinly as he advanced slowly on him.

"Much like the one on your arm Pettigrew." Snape said before viciously ripping up Peter's arm sleeve. With faded black ink, a skull with a snake's tongue was painted upon Pettigrew's left forearm.

"What's that?" Harry asked unthinkingly.

"It's probably a good thing that you live in such times of peace that you don't recognise it." Remus muttered more to the two other adults than to Harry, halting any remarks Snape might make. "It's the Dark Mark Harry, Voldemort's mark. You have to be marked with it by him when you join the Death Eaters."

"Professor Snape?" Hermione asked timidly and he knew what she was referring to.

"Later Granger." He said brusquely before turning to Pettigrew and snarling. "So you were the Secret-Keeper then? That was an incredibly bad choice Black."

"To be fair it would have been a good plan if Peter hadn't been the spy." Remus stood in for Sirius as he was too busy snarling at Snape.

"And then to go and say you killed Potter and Lily before giving all the facts first was complete idiocy." Snape continued like Remus had not spoken and Sirius audibly growled.

"ENOUGH!" Harry shouted, finally fed up and all three adults turned to stare at him. "Can we please focus on the issue here? However before that Professor Snape did you know my mother?" He asked curiously. "I only ask because you call her by her first name, which is unusual since she was a Gryffindor as well."

"I agree. Let's focus on the issue. There's a time and place for such questions Potter." Snape reprimanded him before turning back to Pettigrew who finally decided to wake up.

"Severus! You have to help me! Sirius is trying to kill me and he obviously has managed to get Remus under his spell." Peter begged his hands groping at the front of Snape's robes. No one in the room had seen such a look of fury on Snape's face and all of them, except for Ron on the bed, took a step back.

"Get your filthy, traitorous, cowardly hands off me." Snape said quietly but Pettigrew recognised the anger in his voice when he heard it. He turned to Remus and Sirius.

"My old friends, you want to help me don't you?"

"You killed Lily and James." Was all Sirius could say.

"He was going to kill me Sirius! He was getting stronger every day, what was there to be gained from killing him?" Pettigrew pleaded with his old friends.

"Respect. Knowing that you died protecting your friends. Innocent lives." Sirius spat at Peter when Snape intervened.

"But doesn't that say it all? What could be gained, what could little Peter Pettigrew get for himself by standing with his friends? Nothing except death. So with a self-preservation instinct more suited to a Slytherin he crawled to the Dark Lord and offered him Order secrets if he spared his life."

"Didn't work out so well for you though did it? Voldemort dead or at least gone. I heard them talking in Azkaban Wormtail, his supporters aren't very happy with you, after all it was your information that lead to his death. And let's not forget the ones not in Azkaban." Sirius taunted.

"So that's why you chose the Weasleys because no one else would take you and you had to stay on top of the news so when Voldemort returned you could go scurrying back to him." Remus realised and Pettigrew's eyes darted from them to the door and then around the room in panic. They landed on Harry and he threw himself at him. Everyone raised their wands in warning.

"Get off him." Sirius warned Pettigrew, unknowingly echoing Snape's cold, quiet voice earlier, that promised pain to anyone who disobeyed it.

"Harry, Harry will you show me mercy? That is what your parents would have wanted. You look so like James but have Lily's eyes." There was a bang as Sirius drew breath to shout and tight ropes clutched Pettigrew tightly. Snape lowered his wand.

"Let's just do it." He snarled to Remus and Sirius. All three of them turned to Pettigrew with their wands raised.

"No don't!" Harry stepped in between Pettigrew and the wands.

"For the last time Potter get out of the way." Snape forced out through gritted teeth keeping his wand up.

"You can't kill him."

"Oh thank you, Harry. Thank you." Pettigrew sobbed and Harry threw a glare at him.

"I'm not doing it for you I'm doing it because my dad won't want his two best friends to become murderers for him." Then he turned to Snape. "And whatever you and Mum were I'm sure that she wouldn't want you to become a murderer."

"No she wouldn't but the fact is she's dead and he did it. They would have been safe if he hadn't sold them out." Snape snarled.

"Then give him to the Dementors but just don't kill him." Harry pleaded and Remus and Sirius lowered their wands.

"Hey, he stuck me in Azkaban for twelve years and killed Lily and James so if I can lower my wand so can you." Sirius said to Snape in a threatening tone of voice.

"Fine." He bit out, lowering his wand. "But I get to levitate him out of the tunnel."

"Go right ahead."

As they were crawling along the tunnel, Snape not taking particular care at preventing Pettigrew from hitting the walls of the tunnel, Sirius drew back slightly to talk to Harry.

"So if we get Pettigrew up to Fudge, you know what that means?" Sirius asked.

"You'll be free." Harry said.

"Yeah." Sirius agreed. "Anyway I was wondering whether you... well your parents made me godfather and that means if anything happens to them I become your guardian and so I was wondering whether you want to come and live with me."

"Live with you?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Don't worry if you want to live with your family, that's fine with me." Sirius said hurriedly.

"Are you mad?! Of course I want to live with you, my parents chose you. You're more family than the Dursleys have ever been. Do you have a house? I want to move in as soon as possible if that's alright." Sirius' head swivelled around and his face broke out into a smile, the first true smile Harry had seen on his face.

"That's great, yeah you can move in as soon as you want. I don't have a house at the moment but I'm sure we can move into Potter Manor." Harry tripped and crashed into Snape.

"Watch it Potter." He snapped.

"But how can I have a Manor? I mean I'm not rich, I thought it was only the house in Godric's Hollow." Harry stammered out as Sirius stared at him.

"The Potters were one of the richest pureblood families in Britain, just under the Blacks and the Malfoys."

"That's unbelievable, I mean the Dursleys always complained about how much it cost to keep me." Everyone who heard this, including Snape, frowned.

"When we get back to school we have to talk about that pup." Sirius commented as they climbed out of the tunnel.

Outside Snape lowered Pettigrew to the ground so that he stood on his feet.

"Don't even think about it." He warned Wormtail who fidgeted slightly.

"Just give us an excuse." Sirius sneered and the scene was suddenly bathed in moonlight. Sirius, Remus and Snape froze, for different reasons.

"He hasn't taken his potion, he's not safe!" Hermione warned in a high pitched voice. They watched as Remus' body changed and as Sirius changed and threw himself at the werewolf, trying to knock him off course into the forest with the help of Snape's wand. Using this distraction Peter wiggled out of his binds and managed to grab Lupin's wand.

"No!" Harry cried and Snape turned, distracted as the werewolf and the animagus ran into the forest. "Professor, Pettigrew escaped!" Harry cried desperately pointing off towards the lake. Snape dived after the rat and Harry and Hermione followed after hesitating after looking at the unconscious Ron, which Pettigrew had cursed on the way. Their decision was made when they heard a painful moan from the lake.

Harry flat out ran at the lake without stopping to consider the cold or what it meant. He stopped dead at the sight of hundreds of Dementors gliding across the lake to the three of them, no four of them since there was Sirius collapsed beside Snape. Harry held his wand out.

"Think of something happy Hermione and do the incantation!" He yelled. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!" They kept coming and Sirius and Snape were counting on him. _I'm going to live with Sirius, I'm leaving the Dursleys. _He focused on that thought as hard as he could as he felt Hermione collapse beside him. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" He yelled and thin silver mist came between the Dementor that was coming towards Harry with its hood down and its hand outstretched. It slowed down but did not stop and the others were still as risk. Harry felt the world getting colder and blacker. "No." He murmured before a burst of silver had him opening his eyes. He watched a large silver stag charge down the Dementors and saw it light up its caster.

"Dad." Harry whispered before the person dissolved into the shadows again.

"You did it Harry." Hermione whispered hoarsely from his side and Harry did not bother to correct her.

"I'm glad you're awake." Harry whispered back, as if he couldn't raise his voice above that level. "Help me wake Snape and Sirius." They knelt down and gently shook the two adults, who luckily came around quickly.

"What happened? Where are the Dementors?" Sirius asked, staggering slightly as he stood up. He caught sight of Harry.

"Did you do a Patronus?" But he fell silent when the silver stag bounded up to Harry again. "Prongs." Sirius whispered as the stag dissolved.

"How did you do that Potter?" Snape asked, unnerved at the solid Patronus.

" I've been learning with Professor Lupin but I didn't-" Harry cut himself off. "Is Professor Lupin going to be okay?"

"He's deep in the forest now, he'll run until morning." Sirius answered.

"Come on Sirius, Professor. We need to go and get Ron and then we can get you free Sirius." Harry grinned at his godfather as they climbed towards the Whomping Willow.

"I can't believe I'm helping with this." Snape grumbled.

**I know it's not my best work but I wanted to post this now, so constructive crit is welcome though I probably will be improving it when I'm slightly more awake. Next chapter will be longer promise. Review please with what you liked, what you didn't. **


	2. Freedom

**EDIT: So this is the re-done chapter which I am much happier with, I mean I read through the other chapter and even though I posted it I could pick so many things wrong with it. Also thanks to swanpride who helped me to re-write this chapter by giving me some good advice. **

**Also if you don't like Tonks, I would recommend you stop reading because I added her in, she's such a cool character. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and some lines in this are from **_**Prisoner of Azkaban. **_

**Freedom**

"Who's that?" Harry asked, seeing the group of people approaching the front doors of Hogwarts. "It looks like the Minister but he was just here to kill Buckbeak."

"Who's Buckbeak?" Sirius asked, confused and Snape sneered.

"Trust you to focus on that. They're Aurors, dark wizard catchers." He explained but this drew the attention of one of the Aurors who was limping along next to the Minister.

"Black!" He yelled gruffly, which confused Harry because he had not even looked at him so how could he know? But suddenly spells were flying in Sirius' direction and Snape dragged him to the ground before he could do anything about it.

"Let go of me!" Harry struggled against Snape's hold on the back of his neck.

"Potter stay down until they stop firing spells!" Snape hissed and Harry froze for a moment before leaping up when he saw no more spells flashing, and running to the unconscious Sirius.

"Sirius!" He yelled, avoiding some of the spells the Aurors shot at him.

"Idiot boy! He's a convicted criminal!" The gruff, scarred Auror yelled.

"Actually he isn't Sir." Hermione spoke up timidly, getting up from the floor where Snape had dragged her too.

"What are you talking about?" Another one of the Aurors, a stocky wizard with grey, wiry hair sneered at her.

"Because I looked it up. Sirius Black never got a trial so he can't be a convicted criminal because he was never convicted of anything." Hermione explained and Harry grinned at her before getting back to waking up Sirius.

"Sir? Is there a spell which reverses a stunning spell?" Harry asked Snape, which drew the Aurors' attention to him.

"Yes Potter but if I give it to you, I'll probably be thrown into Azkaban for helping Sirius Black." Snape answered, eyeing the Aurors, who still had their wands up, nervously.

"I know one." Hermione answered and Snape closed his eyes, as if in pain.

"Of course you do." He muttered but stopped Hermione from approaching Sirius and Harry. "Miss Granger hold back from showing off for a few minutes." He said acidly.

"Good idea Snape, it wouldn't be good for a _reformed_ Death Eater to be helping an active Death Eater." The scarred Auror sneered; placing emphasis on 'reformed' as if doubting the truth of the statement but all Snape did was glance at him before turning back to Harry and Hermione.

"But Professor, he's innocent of what they said he did!" Harry said urgently and one of the youngest Aurors stirred restlessly.

"I know that Potter, you know that, Weasley, Granger and Black knows that but do you have a way of proving it?" Snape asked.

"Isn't there like a truth spell or potion or something where they can ask Sirius if he did it?" Harry asked desperately and the adults stilled.

"There is Veritaserum." Snape said quietly.

"Which has an antidote." Said the calming voice of one of the other Aurors, a tall, bald, black wizard with a hooped earring in one ear.

"You could search him and see if he has any antidote before waking him up and administering the Veritaserum." The young Auror, whose hair Harry could have sworn was a different colour when he first saw her, spoke up, nervously tugging on the strands of her violet hair.

"Well we all know how Trainee Tonks feels about her cousin." The stocky Auror said contemptuously and Trainee Tonks glared at him.

"The longer you take arguing about this, the more chance Pettigrew has for getting away!" Harry spoke and all argument ceased.

"Pettigrew's dead, eyewitnesses saw it happen." Another Auror, this one with tawny hair streaked with grey that made him look like a lion, said.

"The eyewitnesses saw Black the only one with his wand out before the street was blown up. However Pettigrew hid his wand behind his back, cut off his finger and transformed into his illegal Animagus form of a rat where he posed as Ron Weasleys' rat, Scabbers for the better part of three years." Snape stated and there was a silence as the Aurors mulled this over.

"That's impossible! Black is stark raving mad, he laughed at what he had done that day on the street!" Fudge finally stepped in, having been happy to let his Aurors handle the arrest until now.

"Be that as if may Minister, we can't take any chances." The lion lookalike Auror said slowly and the scarred Auror finished his thought.

"Tonks, Shacklebolt, Dawlish! Search the grounds for a rat missing a toe, cast the _Vis Abus_ spell at anything that moves!" He barked out the other three Aurors ran off at once and the two Aurors left started to levitate Sirius up towards the school.

"You can't give him to the Dementors!" Harry stepped in front of Sirius and Fudge smiled, albeit slightly weakly.

"Don't worry Harry, he'll just be taken up to school and given Veritaserum. I trust that Aurors Moody and Scrimgeour have some on their person." Fudge asked the two Aurors who both nodded.

"I'm staying with him." Harry declared stubbornly.

"What? Why?! He killed you parents!" Fudge argued.

"Because if you can throw someone into Azkaban without a trial, then you can definitely Kiss them before they are given Veritaserum." Harry answered stubbornly and Hermione nodded in approval at his logic before speaking up,

"Minister, please can we go to the Hospital Wing? Ron's hurt, he broke his leg."

"We can give Black the Veritaserum there." Scrimgeour said and Fudge finally gave in.

At the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey quickly set Ron's leg and gave Hermione, Harry and Snape some chocolate when she heard about their encounter with the Dementors. However when she saw Sirius Black being tied to a chair, she protested.

"Minister do you have to interview criminals where I have patients?"

"Madam Pomfrey, I asked him too. He's innocent and I wanted to make sure that they don't just have the Dementors Kiss him." Harry answered before Fudge could and went over to Sirius who had been woken up and given the Veritaserum.

"What is your name?" Moody demanded.

"Sirius Orion Black." Sirius' voice sounded dead and flat.

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"No."

"Have you ever served the Dark Lord Voldemort?"

"No."

"Who was the Secret Keeper for the Potters?"

"Peter Pettigrew." The four adults, including Snape, drew in a breath.

"Why did you switch?"

"I was to be the decoy, so no matter how much Voldemort tortured me I would never be able to give away the Potters' position. That was very important to me."

"What happened the next morning after you found them dead?"

"I left Harry with Hagrid who said he was taking him to Dumbledore then I went to find Peter. I confronted him on a Muggle street when he shouted how I had betrayed Lily and James and then blasted the street open so he could transform and escape into the sewers.

"How could he escape?"

"Peter Pettigrew is an illegal Animagus in the form of a rat."

"How did you stay sane in Azkaban?" Fudge jumped in with his question, seeing that the Aurors had finished.

"I kept the thought that I was innocent in my mind and then transformed."

"What do you mean transform?" Scrimgeour asked.

"I am an illegal Animagus in the form of a dog." Moody nodded and Sirius was untied.

"So does that mean he's free?" Harry asked.

"He has to have a trial but with the Veritaserum, it would just be a formality." Scrimgeour said uneasily, nobody liked the fact of someone innocent being locked in Azkaban for any length of time, let alone twelve years. As Sirius started to come to his senses, Fudge walked up to him and said formally,

"Sirius Black, you will receive a trial at the soonest possible date that the Wizengamot can convene where you will trialled for the crimes you were put into Azkaban for. The Ministry asks that you do not leave the country and stay in touch until your trial. As godfather to Harry Potter, you will be able to regain custody of the minor but not until after the trial. If you are found innocent, you will be financially compensated for the wrongful years you spent into Azkaban, taking into account your illegal Animagus form. Also you will have to register your form as soon as possible. Do you understand your duty?"

"Yes Minister." Sirius answered in a hoarse voice.

"Now that is done, I shall take my leave now." Snape said quietly, talking more to Madam Pomfrey than anyone but when he reached the Hospital Wing's doors, they opened and two of the Aurors came in, carrying a third body between them.

"Is it Pettigrew?" Fudge asked delightedly and Snape sneered, taking care that the Minister did not see. There would never be that much urgency with Pettigrew no matter how badly he was hurt and he would be levitated.

"No it's Trainee Tonks." Said the Auror with the calming voice, who up close Harry could read the name of his arm that flashed in white, Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"How badly is she hurt?" Moody strode forward as fast as he could and Madam Pomfrey hurried up as well, already casting the diagnostic charms.

"It seems like a cutting spell but nothing like I've ever seen. It seems to be Dark Magic, do you recognise it Severus?" She asked the Potions Professor who had also come towards the bed, ignoring the glares from Moody and Sirius. His eyes widened.

"I know this curse." He said brusquely, drawing out his wand. "Poppy I need some Blood Replenishing Potions and dittany, there is no telling how much blood she has lost. Everyone back off." At a nod from Scrimgeour, the three Aurors stood back and Snape started to trace the wounds with his wand, saying an incantation that sounded almost like a song.

"What happened?" Sirius asked and unwillingly, Dawlish started to explain.

"We're not exactly sure, we're assuming that she found Pettigrew who managed to hit her with this curse. She was carried up to the front doors by a Hippogriff, how it managed to get her onto its back we don't know and neither do we know where the Hippogriff came from."

"Maybe it is the one that escaped earlier this evening." Albus Dumbledore answered from the door of the hospital wing.

"That's preposterous Dumbledore, the Hippogriff that we were meant to execute was a dangerous beast." Fudge blustered.

"And Sirius Black was also an insane Death Eater." Dumbledore nodded to Sirius who grinned back. "Things can change Cornelius."

"That Hippogriff did just save Trainee Tonks' life." Shacklebolt spoke up.

"Fine the Hippogriff Buckbeak is no longer up for execution on sight but there must be no more classes with it." Fudge warned Dumbledore who nodded.

"Of course, of course. I'm sure Hagrid will be happy keeping him as a pet." Dumbledore answered, his eyes sparkling once more. Fudge shuffled, looking uncomfortable and Dumbledore spoke up again. "Sirius Black is welcome to stay at Hogwarts until his trial as is Nymphadora Tonks until she is fully recovered."

"I suppose the Death Eater is the one most suited to treating Dark Magic." Moody muttered.

"Alastor, old friend, it is good to see you again but may I remind you that Severus Snape is a reformed Death Eater?"

"A reformed Death Eater is still a Death Eater while he still has that mark on his arm." Moody replied as his magical eye watched Snape working on Tonks even as he talked to Dumbledore.

"We'll have to agree to disagree Alastor. Cornelius I came because I heard about the attack of the Dementors on one of my teachers and two of my students earlier. I have never been fond of Dementors but having out of control Dementors that come onto the grounds and try to Kiss known innocent people has led me to my decision that they must be removed at once. Pettigrew is probably long gone by now, so I would appreciate it if they were removed from Hogwarts entirely." Dumbledore said firmly and Fudge nodded.

"Of course Dumbledore, trying to Kiss innocent children, I'll be lucky if the Prophet hears about this as well as Black's mis-trial." He muttered to himself. "Very well Dumbledore, I shall take my leave as will Aurors Moody, Scrimgeour, Dawlish and Shacklebolt. I hope that Black and Trainee Tonks will be taken care of." Fudge said importantly and Dumbledore nodded.

"Probably all the better after the Dementors have been removed." With that the Minister and part of his Auror guard swept out of the Hospital Wing and Snape sat back in exhaustion, having finished working on Tonks, who stirred. Sirius quickly went to the side of her bed.

"Hey Nymphie." He said cheerfully.

"Wotcher Siri." She tried to reply just as cheerfully but it was weaker than she meant it to be. However Madam Pomfrey gave her a potion which she drank quickly as she examined Sirius. "Merlin Sirius you look terrible." She exclaimed, able to sit up due to the potion.

"You look good too Nymphadora."

"Don't call me that." She warned as she accepted the dittany balm from Snape.

"How is your mother?" Sirius asked.

"She'll be much better now that it has been proved that you are as innocent as she claimed." Tonks explained and Sirius grinned, this grin seeming to have some genuine happiness behind it.

"I'm happy too." He joked and Tonks smiled.

"So what's happening?" She asked curiously, looking around at the Hospital Wing where Pomfrey and Snape were reorganising treatments, Hermione was sitting by Ron's beside and Harry and Dumbledore looking at them openly, the latter with his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Well I'm finally getting a trial, I get compensated and after the trial I get to have custody of Harry here." Sirius beckoned Harry over and he came over, slightly shy now. "Harry this is Nymphadora Tonks, the daughter of my favourite relative Andromeda Tonks nee Black. She was blasted off the Black family tapestry after she married the Muggle-born Ted Tonks." Sirius confided, smiling at Harry who smiled back.

"It's nice to meet you Miss Tonks." Harry said politely.

"Please just call me Tonks. Just whatever you do, don't call me Nymphadora." Tonks shuddered dramatically.

"Tonks here doesn't like her first name so insists everyone call her by her last name." Sirius explained to a slightly bemused Harry.

"So would you if your fool of a mother called you Nymphadora." The family reunion was interrupted when Dumbledore asked,

"Severus before you go, can you show Sirius some place where he can stay? Remus' quarters will hopefully adjust. And Sirius I'm sure you will want to be cleaned up."

"It would be nice." Sirius admitted as he stood up and Harry looked panicked. "Don't worry I'll be back soon. Snape won't kill me in cold blood, I hope." He whispered the last part as Snape glared at Sirius and Dumbledore but did not bother to argue against a request from the Headmaster. As they left Tonks shuddered.

"Still as bat-like as he was at school. Good teacher in Potions though." Tonks confided to Harry who looked surprised.

"Poppy, I was wondering if I could get a moment alone with your patients." Dumbledore asked the nurse who looked displeased but nodded and retreated to her office.

"Nymphadora, I trust you to block your ears to what is about to happen."

"Yep. I don't know about it so I can't report it." Tonks said cheerfully winking at the confused Harry and Hermione before closing her eyes and feigning sleep.

"Now more than one innocent life was saved tonight. Miss Tonks was attacked by the Hogwarts gate. We need more _time_. Three turns should do it Miss Granger, I'm going to lock you in now and it is ten minutes to midnight." Hermione nodded with understanding as her eyes widened at the emphasis Dumbledore had put while Harry felt confused.

"You know the law Miss Granger, _you must not be seen._ Three turns. Good luck."

"Hermione what is he talking about and what has it got to do with Tonks?" Harry asked confused but Hermione had already this chain around his neck as well as hers, a chain attached to a tiny, sparkling hour glass.

"Ready?" Hermione said.

"For what?" Harry asked again, nonplussed, before the world around dissolved into a blur of colours and he felt like he was falling backwards, flying in fact.

But then his feet felt solid ground beneath them and Harry was able to realise they were standing in a deserted Entrance Hall.

"What the-" Harry muttered before Hermione grabbed him and quickly dragged him into a nearby broom cupboard.

"Hermione, please can you explain what's going on?" Harry asked before Hermione, with her ear against the door, shushed him.

"Yes three pairs of feet and we're walking slowly because of the Cloak-that's us going down to Hagrid/s!"

"But how?" Harry asked, again completely bewildered.

"We've gone back in time, three hours back." Hermione explained breathlessly as she lifted the chain off Harry's neck. "This is a Time-Turner, I've been using it all year to get to my lessons. I would've told you and Ron but Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone, it was hard enough for me to get in the first place, she had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry promising that I was trustworthy and I wouldn't use it for anything but lessons. But Harry I don't know what we're meant to do!" She finished her speech in a panic.

"Give me a second." Harry muttered trying to take in Hermione's fast, breathless explanation. After a moment he glanced at Hermione triumphantly. "I've got it. Tonks said she was saved by a Hippogriff and she looked at us, maybe we were with Buckbeak. So all we need to do is get Buckbeak away from Hagrid and over to the Hogwarts' gates to save Tonks. And then back to the hospital because Professor Dumbledore locks us in." Now Harry said it, it seemed almost impossible and Hermione's face reflected that fact.

"Harry if we can do all that without being seen, it'll be a miracle." She said seriously.

"A great story to tell one day." Harry said back as they crept out into the Entrance Hall. "We'll have to run straight for the Forest in case anyone's looking out the window."

"But we'll need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door or we'll see us!" Hermione hissed in warning and Harry wondered whether that sentence felt as strange saying it as it was hearing it. They quickly ran across the gardens to the greenhouse, hid behind them for a moment before dashing off to the cover of the Forest. As quickly and as quietly as possible they tore through the Forest until they came to a place where they could see and hear what was going on in Hagrid's hut without being seen themselves.

"Now?" Harry asked as they could hear themselves in Hagrid's hut.

"No the Committee people have to see him tied up outside otherwise they'll think Hagrid set him free and he'll get in trouble."

"But that will only leave us about sixty seconds!" Harry whispered.

"That's what I meant by miracle." Hermione replied. "Here's us now." Harry and Hermione acting on reflex, ducked further behind the tree as themselves came out of Hagrid's back door.

"This is so weird." Harry said to Hermione before he tuned back into the conversation.

"Go quick. Don' listen..." Hagrid was saying and Harry watched as the three pairs of feet imprints on the grass retreated as there was a knock on Hagrid's door.

"Where is the beast?" Macnair asked and his face appeared in the window.

"I'll do it." Harry said to Hermione when Macnair's face disappeared, called away by Fudge. He quickly vaulted the fence and bowed without blinking to Buckbeak who sank to his knees. Harry fumbled with the rope and started to lead Buckbeak to the forest. In panic he heard footsteps while he and Buckbeak were still in full view of Hagrid's back door but then he heard Dumbledore's voice and relief broke out in him as he hurried Buckbeak into a trot. He managed to get him into the forest as Dumbledore was still speaking and they started leading Buckbeak to the Hogwarts main gate under the cover of the forest. They stopped as they heard the faint murmur of voices but were far enough away that they could not hear what they were saying.

"I think we should get nearer the Whomping Willow so we can see what's going on." Harry whispered to Hermione who agreed and they settled down so they could see who was coming in and out of the Willow. As they were waiting Harry admitted to Hermione.

"It wasn't actually me who cast the Patronus earlier at the lake."

"Oh? Who did it then? Was it a teacher?" She asked eagerly.

"No." Harry said slowly. "I only saw a glimpse of them in the light of my Patronus but it looked like my dad." He caught sight of Hermione's face and scoffed. "I know, crazy right. It's impossible."

"Your dad doing it would be impossible but someone looking just like him doing it..."Hermione did not finish her sentence but Harry got what she meant.

"You think it was me? But Lupin told me that it's like N.E.W.T level." Harry said uncertainly.

"But you've always been a great wizard Harry. Oh look there's Snape!" Together they watched as Snape picked up the cloak and Harry came to a nasty realisation.

"Hermione we have to move!" He said urgently.

"What? Why?" Now Hermione was the one confused.

"Because Lupin is going to change and then he's going to run right at us!" Harry explained and Hermione looked horrified.

"Oh no!" She started to tug Buckbeak away from the Whomping Willow towards the lake.

"Hermione, wait I've got an idea." Hermione slowed. "If it was me who cast the Patronus then I need to be on the other side of the lake and if it was my dad, I would kinda like to see him." Harry said awkwardly and Hermione threw him a sympathetic look.

"Alright Harry but be careful." She warned.

"You too, remember there's Dementors, Pettigrew and a fully grown werewolf around tonight as well as several Ministry officials." Hermione grinned before running off in the opposite direction to Harry.

Harry walked quickly but keeping an eye for the Dementors. They were swooping in on Sirius and then Snape as he came running down and then collapsed. He watched as his past self produced silver mist but the Dementors kept coming.

Harry looked around wildly but saw no else with him on the lake side.

"I guess it wasn't him." Harry muttered, feeling unusually downtrodden. He raised his wand and filled his head with thoughts of living with Sirius, a free man now thanks to him. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" He cried and a large silver stag charged down the Dementors again, at least from Harry's point of view. He saw himself look over and let him catch a glimpse before stepping back.

Harry let the stag dissolve as Sirius and Snape saw him and then headed as fast as he could to the gate after watching the group trudge up to the school. Soon Aurors would be searching for Pettigrew and he had to get into position before anyone saw him.

"Where have you been Harry, you've been ages." Hermione greeted him with.

"Hello to you too. It was me who cast the Patronus." Harry said, ignoring her question knowing she was just nervous about being alone in the Forest. "Good position by the way." Harry said, noting that they were hidden from the main path but could see what was going on both sides of the gate.

"Thanks but I'm concerned how we're going to stop Pettigrew with Buckbeak." Hermione wondered. "As well as how we're going to get back to the hospital wing without being seen."

"We've done well so far. Oh wait, here comes Tonks." Harry and Hermione froze so the only sound Tonks heard was some scuffling in the bushes in front of her. She cast the same spell as was cast in the Shrieking Shack and it worked just as well as Pettigrew grew out of the bushes but as he was doing that he managed to hit Tonks with a sickly yellow curse that threw her backwards. Regaining her footing she cast a blue shield around her that deflected another spell, before lowering it to throw a Stunning Spell.

"He's using Lupin's wand!" Harry whispered furiously and Tonks lost concentration for a split second while Pettigrew shouted,

"SECTUSEMPRA!" He slashed Tonks open and Harry quickly disarmed Pettigrew before charging at him with Buckbeak. Buckbeak managed to slash him before he changed back into a rat and took off through the gates.

"Damnit!" Harry yelled but Hermione and Tonks' voices drew him back.

"How'd you get here?" Tonks was asking in a slurred voice.

"We ran fast?" Hermione answered shakily.

"It's a Time-Turner Tonks but you can't say anything to any of the other Ministry people. We'll explain later." Harry said hurriedly as he helped Tonks slump onto the back of Buckbeak. "Just say Buckbeak saved you and make sure they don't try and execute him. Buckbeak you need to go to the front door." Buckbeak, like Hedwig, seemed to understand exactly what Harry was saying and started to trot up to the school. Tonks managed to grab onto some of Buckbeak's feathers to stop herself slipping off.

"Come on." Harry said to Hermione as he picked up Lupin's wand. "We can follow them in the trees."

The trip up to the hospital wing was filled with near misses and Harry constantly worried about whether they were going to make the hospital wing on time but somehow they did and met Dumbledore at the door.

"I'm guessing it's done." Dumbledore stated and Harry and Hermione nodded, too out of breath to speak, they had taken the last few corridors at a run after hearing Snape and Sirius' voices behind them.

Harry and Hermione slipped into the hospital wing just as their past images faded. Tonks was done feigning sleep and Ron seemed to be stirring as well.

"So what happened?" She demanded.

"I've got Tonks, you can take Ron." Harry said to Hermione as he walked over to Tonks' bed and started to explain.

**Really rough Latin translations where I got the spell idea from: Vis- Force Abeo- Change**

**One reviewer pointed out that they thought it would have taken a lot more for Snape to listen to Sirius but I thought that Snape seemed 'beyond all reason' in POA and in this story Harry snapped him out of it with his pleading. Plus he didn't really have much choice with no wand and after he listened to Sirius, he could still give him to the Dementors if he didn't believe him. I know I didn't include much of the dialogue from POA and added my own but did you really want me to put exactly what's in the book practically in here as well? **


	3. Familiarity

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, if I did there would be more Remus/Tonks in the movie. **

**Note: If you do not like Remus/Tonks I would advise you not to read this chapter, even though it is only in a little bit at the beginning. Also you need to read the rewrite of last chapter to understand this one. **

**Familiarity**

The next day Harry woke up disorientated, wondering why he was feeling so light and happy for a change. Then he remembered, Sirius his godfather, taking him away from the Dursleys forever. He sat up and smiled at the now awake Tonks who was examining the thin lines on her arms.

"Morning Tonks."

"Wotcher Harry. Looking forward to seeing your godfather?"

"Are you kidding? I'm going to live with him and leave my relatives!" Harry said excitedly.

"So your relatives aren't very nice?" Harry realised what he had said and closed off slightly.

"You could say that." He answered carefully and Tonks continued, not looking at him.

"Neither are my relatives, the only decent one on my mum's side is Sirius. The rest of them are horribly dark, when I first met Bellatrix she was trying to kill me in Diagon Alley."

"Bellatrix? Who's that?" Against his will, Harry burst out of curiosity.

"Bellatrix Lestrange, one of You-Know-Who's top Death Eaters. And my mum's sister. And then Narcissa Malfoy is also her sister."

"You're related to Malfoy?!" Harry exclaimed and Tonks cast him a quick look.

"Yeah, that's not a problem is it?" She asked defensively and Harry responded quickly,

"No, after all I can't help that I'm related to the Dursleys." With that Tonks grinned at him.

"Yeah I was hoping you'll understand. Anyway Sirius might be a big, immature child sometimes but I know that he's really looking forward to getting to know you. And his friend, Remus Lupin, is as well. By the way have you met Remus? I think Sirius has this crazy idea that he wants to fix us up and I just want to know what I'm letting myself in for." Harry grinned and decided to tell the exact truth. Just not the whole truth, judging from Ron's reaction he didn't think that Tonks would like to be told about Lupin being a werewolf even before they met. Also Lupin probably did not want him to tell either.

"He's the best DADA teacher we've ever had." Harry said warmly and Tonks smiled, looking impressed. "He helped Neville after Sna- Professor Snape," Harry felt Snape deserved the title after what he had done, "put him down and Professor Lupin cheered him up. He's really nice, I hope he can be our DADA teacher next year."

"I doubt that." Tonks snorted. "There's been a curse on the job for ages, I mean when I was at school, none of our teachers lasted a year and it was the same with my parents."

"I'd heard the rumours but I didn't think it was true. So when Dumbledore hired Lockhart he actually had no one else to pick from."

"Lockhart? As in Gilderoy Lockhart? He was at school with me, in Hufflepuff as well unfortunately and he kept saying that we could go far together with me being a Metamorphmagus. I can change my appearance at will." She explained hastily at Harry's confused look and quickly changed her hair to blonde curls to demonstrate. Harry looked suitably impressed and she continued, "of course after I threatened him with a castration hex, he backed off." There was a bark like laugh and Harry and Tonks turned to where the laugh came from. Sirius and Lupin stood at the door, Lupin looked haggard but happy and Sirius had shorter hair and the lines of his face looking less sharp than they had before. He looked less like a corpse than when Harry last saw him.

"Hey Sirius." Harry grinned which was returned.

"How much did you hear?" Tonks demanded and Sirius laughed again.

"Just the part about threatening Lockhart, brilliant Tonks." He approached Harry's bed, leaving Lupin to stride up to Tonks' bed and extend a hand to her.

"Hello, I'm Remus Lupin." He said pleasantly.

"Nymphadora Tonks. Sirius has told me all about you." Remus threw a quick glance at Sirius.

"All good things I hope. And he has told me about you, only the bare facts though."

"Of course, mostly about your adventures at school. Is it true that you once got so drunk you used the shield from a suit of armour to propel you down the Grand Suitcase?" Tonks asked and Remus' face froze in such an expression of horror that Harry and Sirius both started to laugh. However Remus recovered admirably well and returned,

"Don't worry I have some stories about him that I could tell you, how long are you here at Hogwarts for anyway Nymphadora?" Tonks stared at him in horror and he looked confused.

"I hate that name." Tonks muttered.

"Why? It's beautiful." He went pink and Tonks smiled at him.

"Yeah you think that but I went to school with several hormonal teenage boys who, when they heard my name, associated it with nymphomaniac. After seven years of being called that or 'nympho', I hated my name and I asked people to call me by my surname, Tonks."

"So you prefer to be called Tonks, Nymphadora?" Remus asked and Tonks eyed him.

"You're going to call me Nymphadora whether I like it or not."

"Of course." Remus smiled at Tonks who rolled her eyes affectionately and Sirius grinned triumphantly.

"I hate to interrupt this touching moment but Nymphadora needs to drink her potion." Snape's voice pierced through and Remus quickly stood up to make way for Snape.

"Hey if you're calling me Nymphadora can I call you Severus? Or Sevvie?" Tonks asked as she accepted the potion.

"No." Snape denied flatly and Remus stepped in before Tonks could reply,

"You were injured Nymphadora?"

"Yeah last night in the forest." Tonks answered, grimacing at the potion so she did not see the horror on Remus' face as he quickly examined her. "Pettigrew hit me with this nasty cutting curse." Relief blossomed on Remus' face before turning to anger.

"Wait Peter did this to you?"

"Yeah, which means he got away. Snape was just giving me some potions to help with it and reduce the chance of scarring."

"Thank you Severus." Remus said gratefully to Snape, who watched him as if judging the sincerity of the statement, but found only truth, nodded.

"Professor Lupin, I have your wand." Harry said, grabbing the wand from his bedside table.

"Thank you Harry." He answered warmly before his face darkened when he looked at the wand. "Siri- Harry could I borrow your wand for a minute?" Harry nodded and handed over his wand where Remus muttered a spell, revealing the picture of a black slice in thin air coming from the tip of Remus' wand.

"What was that?" Harry asked but neither Remus nor Sirius answered.

"He used my wand." Remus said quietly, outrage plain in his voice.

"Calm down Moony, it wasn't your fault, you were incapacitated." Sirius said soothingly.

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked in a confused tone, waking up before spotting Sirius. "So you're free now?" She asked quickly.

"Yep. Well I have my trial in a few days but after the Veritaserum, it's just a technicality."

"Veritaserum?" Tonks asked and Harry explained,

"Yes he was questioned last night to see whether he was innocent or not."

"Oh Auror Tonks, how are you?" Hermione asked worriedly, eying Tonks like she was about to collapse any moment.

"I'm fine, Hermione right? Thanks for helping me by the way." Tonks said and all focus was on them.

"You're going to have to tell them, it's not like any of them are going to rat you in." Ron chose this moment to wake up but eyed Snape apprehensively straight after he said this. "Well nearly all of them." He amended and Snape glared at him.

"You wouldn't tell on us would you Professor?" Harry asked Snape who glanced at him before admitting,

"No." He seemed rooted to the spot with curiosity as Hermione started to explain.

"Well I had a Time Turner from the Ministry to get to my classes and Harry and I used it last night to go back and rescue Buckbeak and take over to the front gates where Tonks found Pettigrew and where he hit her with the cutting curse and then we put Tonks on Buckbeak and had him carry her to school."

"I knew I saw you!" Sirius said triumphantly, reminded of the flash of brown hair he saw, and Snape put in,

"You do realise that what you did is highly illegal." He raised his eyebrows at Harry and Hermione.

"That is why we didn't want any of the Ministry people to find out, besides it saved Buckbeak and Tonks' lives so I think its okay." Harry retorted stubbornly.

"Just like we saved Ginny last year by breaking tons of school rules." Ron piped up with and Harry swallowed, hoping that this wouldn't remind his Professor that they didn't get punished for that either.

"Wait what?" Sirius asked slowly and both Remus and Tonks looked interested. Snape smirked and started walking to the door.

"I'll leave you Potter to explain to Black why you decided to face a Basilisk on your own with only a Phoenix and the Sorting Hat." Were the Potions Professor's parting words before the door slammed behind him. Harry grumbled but at Sirius' expression started to hastily explain.

***

Later, after Harry had made a promise to Sirius to stop and think before he went looking for trouble again, the two of them left the Hospital Wing and went to look for Lupin, who had disappeared after the story.

"Now after what happened last night, I am going to guess he is packing." Sirius said to Harry as he swung the door open of Lupin's office. "And I'm right." He said flatly as he saw Remus doing exactly what he said. He took a deep breath before turning to see his old friend.

"Sirius." He greeted, smiling happily at both him and Harry. However it dimmed slightly when he said, "You know why."

"No I don't. From the little I hear about Harry's first two years, it seems you are the only competent Defence teacher that he's had." Sirius said, somewhat angrily. Harry, having cottoned on to what was happening, spoke up,

"Yeah you're a great teacher Professor. Like I said to Tonks you know just how to make people feel better, like Neville and the boggart." Lupin smiled gratefully but looked anguished.

"Harry I put you all in danger last night. When I heard Nymphadora say that she was injured last night, that could have just have easily been me that did that to her."

"But it wasn't." Sirius pointed out and Remus rolled his eyes.

"I know but it could have been, just sheer luck and yours and Severus' timely intervention that meant I didn't hurt Harry, Ron or Hermione. As for the Ministry people, I could have ruined any of their lives last night simply because I forgot to take my potion." The self-loathing was apparent in his voice by the time he finished speaking.

"Okay first of all the circumstances were really unusual, I mean seeing your dead friend's name on the Map would have been cause enough, without seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione's names so close to it and me. But Moony you're only human, you are allowed a few mistakes." Sirius said earnestly and Remus looked harsh.

"But I'm not human Sirius, I am a werewolf. Because of that I must never forget, lest I curse someone else." He said, rising anger in his tone.

"Don't ever say that again." Sirius snarled back. "Don't ever say you aren't human. Being a werewolf does not put below or above the non-werewolves and if you even think that you have to be perfect all that time, well that's just arrogance." Here Sirius crossed his arms looking supremely pleased with himself.

"Please Professor Lupin." The two adults turned to Harry. He swallowed but continued, "Please stay. I mean now you've got us two and Ron and Hermione to look out for you as well so even you do forget again, we'll all be able to remind you. And I'm sure Sna- Professor Snape will be willing to help as well and Tonks if you tell her." Remus' face went white.

"So she doesn't already know?" He asked stiffly and Harry shrugged.

"I figured it was your secret to tell, not mine. So will you think about it?" Harry came back to his original point with all the tenacity of a bulldog.

"I'll talk to Albus, will that satisfy you two?" Remus finally conceded and while Harry smiled, Sirius looked thoughtful.

"Only if you seriously consider any suggestions he has." He said suspiciously and while Remus sighed, he nodded. "Great!" Sirius beamed before throwing himself down into a chair and gesturing for Harry to sit. "Don't worry Harry, sometimes Remus is his own worst enemy."

"I am still here." Remus piped up, amused.

"Well it should be drilled into your head. I always wondered why you put yourself down so much, there are enough stupid people that do that already." Sirius retorted, grinning a smile that took years off his face, looking like the man in the Potter's Wedding Photos.

"Hey Sirius, Professor can you tell me what my parents were like at school?" Harry asked, remembering seeing the smiling man and woman who were also in the photos. "All I've heard is from Professor Snape and I don't think he liked my dad much because he always calls him an arrogant idiot. And he doesn't mention Mum." Harry thought out loud and Sirius looked sheepish.

"Well that probably because at school your dad was a bit of an arrogant idiot, we all were. Well not Remus so much. But after fifth year he started to grow up and mature." Sirius admitted and Harry felt a crushing sense of disappointment. Having never known his parents they had almost reached hero-worship in his eyes and to hear that the comments from his Potions teacher, that he had always dismissed as bitterness or jealously, had a ring of truth to them.

"And that was when Lily started to notice him. Your dad had liked Lily for ages, pretty much since second year onwards, but she always said he was an immature bully." Remus stepped in, hoping to lift Harry's spirits. "However when he started to shrink his big head, Lily noticed and they started to date."

"James may have been a bit of a prat when he was fifteen but it grew up to be a good man." Sirius emphasised and Harry smiled at them both.

"Thank you. What about Mum?" He begged, soaking up the information like a sponge.

"Well your mum was one of those people that you couldn't help but like. For the first few years, I thought that she was an annoying goody-two-shoes until she landed herself in detention by cursing all my hair to fall out." Sirius remembered and Harry laughed.

"He had to wait until it grew back naturally because Madam Pomfrey couldn't fix it." Remus confided and Harry grinned, imagining a hairless Sirius.

"Of course she was horrified because she had actually meant to turn my hair green but Transfiguration was never her strong point, while it was James' best subject. I always thought that she was irked by that." Sirius continued.

"Yes because her near perfect grades in all the other subjects weren't enough. She reminds me of your friend, Hermione." Remus compared and Harry imagined Lily nagging at the three boys to finish their homework so they could relax later, with them laughing and persuading her to 'let loose a little'. He grinned at the image. "She was one of those people that if you didn't like, you at least had to respect her talent and tendency to stick up for what she believed in." Remus added.

"When she and James got together, she had been scolding some of the Slytherins for pulling a rather vicious prank on a Hufflepuff first year. After she had deducted points and given detentions (she was Head Girl then) she turned to walk away. Or course a sneaky little coward in the group shot a spell after her but James, seeing this, stepped in front of it and got hit by the spell himself." The two men's eyes darkened as they remembered what had happened afterwards. "It was horrible, apparently it put him into a dream world where he would relive his worst memories and greatest fears until he woke himself up."

"I'm sorry to say that I kinda blamed your Mum." Sirius admitted before hastily adding, "Don't worry that didn't last long, Remus brought me back to my senses. Anyway Lily was blaming herself as well and stayed next to his bedside whenever she could. We all thought it was out of guilt until she actually admitted that she had started to like James, to see that he was now a good person, and him taking an unknown spell for her was just the tip of the iceberg."

"And when James woke up, they started to date. And I swear, not to sound too much like a girl, that they were one of those couples that just fit together." Sirius said to Harry, who was now sitting there with wide eyes.

"Lily matured James, helped to make him a better person and he encouraged her to enjoy life a bit more, especially with the war with Voldemort rising. They balanced each other out, I mean they had similarities and differences but they just knew that what they had was worth fighting for." Now it was Remus' time for his eyes to get slightly misty as he travelled down memory lane.

"Maybe we could borrow Dumbledore's Pensieve and we can watch a few memories of them." Sirius suggested and there was a light tapping at the slightly open door.

"I heard my name." The wizened old headmaster stepped into the office. He smiled at the three of them. "I just came in here to hopefully stop Remus from making a mistake." He eyed the half-packed boxes with amusement and Remus flushed.

"We already beat you to it Albus." Sirius laughed and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"Well I came here to propose an arrangement that might suit everyone. If Remus would not stay in the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, maybe he would like to stay as a tutor? Strictly part-time, able to fit around transformations and the like with no curse on the job. Sometimes there are things that the student does not want to go to the teacher for, either they are a little intimidating or they don't have the time, especially the Heads of Houses." Remus started to look hopeful, but tentatively hopeful as if he should not expect too much, lest it get taken away again. "Well my boy, would you like the job?"

"Headmaster if you're serious," He threw a glance at Sirius, warning him not to say the joke. "Then I would love to. To be able to teach again but still manage to work around my problem would be a dream come true."

"I'm so glad you accept. I just need to discuss a few details with you. Sirius, Poppy wants to look you over and I think young Ronald is getting released as we speak." Sirius and Harry left Remus' office with identical grins.

"Remus being a idiot about his furry little problem: sorted." Sirius announced. "Now we should really go and see the dragon lady Harry."

"I'll come with you if you call her the 'Dragon Lady' to her face." Harry said, smirking slightly, unknowingly copying both his mother and his father whenever they had a devious thought. Sirius gave his bark like laugh again before ruffling Harry's hair.

"Come on Prongslet, I'll tell you all about the time James asked Lily out on a broomstick, which turned out to be a really bad idea when she pushed him off it."

**Hope you liked it! **

**Bone to pick with you: While I did enjoy all the reviews I got, this chapter wouldn't be here without them, I wasn't pleased with how 29 people have this on alert (which I'm really surprised at since this story has only been like two chapters long) and I got 6 reviews. You see the difference? So people only an extra two minutes to say you liked this bit, you didn't like this bit, your random opinions at the time anything. Really, I'm not that picky. **

**RANT: This you really don't have to read, just skip over it. **

**Okay you know those rants you get on some people's profile pages. Well I was reading one about Harmony (Harry/Hermione) the other day. Now even though I never actually saw HHr as a valid couple, more brother/sister, I can see why there are signs to go with it, for example the end of POA where they are the two that go back in time. There are signs for HG as well after all. That wasn't what bothered me, I was reading it perfectly fine when she started to get personal. Okay she called HHr fans clever, literate people, I can handle that. I mean she might be blowing her own horn a little but still. But then she called HG and RHr fans as shallow and frivolous as the couples they support! **

**And yes I bet half of you are going; 'It's really not that big a deal, just get over it'. Well I was annoyed but I didn't feel like I could PM objecting to what she wrote on her profile, I mean it is her profile. But the point was that she made a sweeping generalisation of all HG and RHr fans as well as HHr and then expected us to accept it! There are millions of HP fans worldwide, she could not have got a fair representation, and that just irks me. **

**RANT OVER, sorry for boring you. **

**Okay one more thing: I need a beta. Probably for this story as well but actually I am writing (but not posting) a time travel story. So cliché but it is fun to write. Anyway it will be epic, covering eighteen years in the Wizarding World, there will be OCs who will play a major part in the story, I've just jotted down ideas as I thought them so it's a disorganised mess but I just want a beta who I can talk it out with, who won't steal any ideas of mine. If you ask nicely I might consider it. **

**So a beta for Mercy and for the other story. **

**Also there may be a oneshot about the Lily/James get together mentioned in this chapter, I was going to post it with this but it is definitely not ready and I figured that this chapter had been sitting around for several days already, it was time to post it. **

**Anyway review! And sorry for my late updating and hugely long AN. **


	4. Friendship

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. **

**Friendship**

"You're leaving?" Seamus Finnigan exclaimed as the whole of the class, aside from the three who already knew, stared at their favourite defence teacher in horror. "But why?" He bleated and Lupin smiled calmly.

"It's better to quit while you are ahead. Circumstances had led me to leaving the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for a more lenient position." He answered and while the class grumbled, they accepted his explanation.

"Is this about Mr Black?" Lavender questioned, her opinion on the staid Defence teacher rising rapidly after it was discovered he was friends with James Potter, a Death Eater and a wrongly accused ex-con.

"Partly, I will be helping Sirius recover from his experience in Azkaban, those of you who have felt its effects understand why." The class grew quiet and solemn as the thought of twelve years being in close proximity to the Dementors.

"Sir?" Neville raised his hand timidly, in Professor Lupin's class he had become better at speaking out, although with some degree of uncertainty.

"Yes Neville?" Lupin asked pleasantly.

"If you don't mind me asking...how did Mr Black keep his mind in Azkaban? I mean the Dementors..." Neville trailed off, not willing to finish the sentence but managed to make himself understood.

"Sirius said that he held onto the thought that he was innocent, it wasn't a happy thought and he still feels the effects of the Dementors even now but it kept him sane and coherent." Lupin told them a half-truth and the third years looked impressed, anyone who survived the Dementors and held onto his innocence even though no one believed him was someone to be admired. Lupin let this thought sink in before he asked, "are there anymore questions?" This time it was Dean who put his hand.

"Who do you think will replace you? Do you know?" This managed to catch even Harry, Hermione and Ron's attention; after all it was not something they knew. But Lupin just gave an enigmatic smile.

"You'll find out at the Welcoming Feast in September." A collective groan went around the class before the bell marked the end of the lesson.

After everyone had left the trio approached Lupin's desk.

"He's getting restless." The Professor announced and with no other warning, a black Grim-like dog flashed and threw itself at Harry.

"Hey Padfoot." The three of them grinned as they watched Padfoot turn into Sirius.

"Hey Harry, Ron, Hermione." Sirius greeted them, helping Harry up.

"You couldn't think of another way to greet us without leaving dog slobber all over my robes?" Harry asked as he looked at the front of his robes.

"Sorry Harry, let me get that for you." Sirius withdrew his wand from his robes dramatically and all three of them noticed.

"You got a new wand!" Harry spoke their thoughts and Sirius grinned happily.

"Yep, alder, ten inches with dragon heartstring core. Strong and powerful apparently." Sirius boasted, puffing up slightly causing Remus to burst into silent laughter behind him.

"Of course Black, that's the first thing that comes to mind." A sarcastic voice came from the doorway and all of the people in the classroom turned to see Severus Snape illuminated against the sun light.

"Why are you here Snape?" Sirius asked, eyes rolling. During the past week there was a definite change in how Sirius and Snape reacted to each other, instead of the malice and cruelty that existed in their relationship before there was now almost friendly jabs and rivalry between the two. When Harry had asked Sirius about it, he had just said that they had realised they were more alike than they thought.

"The Headmaster wants to speak to Potter. And I need to talk to Lupin about next year."

"What about next year?" Sirius asked, tensing slightly, obviously worried about Snape kicking up a fuss about Remus coming back next year even if it was not as DADA teacher.

"Never mind at the moment. Potter the Headmaster should not be kept waiting." Snape reminded blandly and with one last look at him, Harry hurried out of the door, followed closely by Ron and Hermione.

"What does Albus want with Harry?" Sirius asked Snape who answered casually,

"Something about his living arrangements." This statement caused Sirius to turn paper white and hurry out of the door.

"That wasn't kind Severus." Remus frowned at the Potions Master who dismissed his concerns with a wave.

"I needed to speak with you and I did nothing but speak the truth." Here Remus looked worried but Snape halted him from following Sirius out of the door.

"Fine Severus what do you need to talk about?" Remus asked with slightly forced patience.

"Next year you will want me to brew the Wolfsbane for you?" Remus nodded.

"If that is okay." There was a moment's silence as Snape chewed over what he wanted to say.

"I will do it, but there are concerns over Pettigrew's escape. This means that it is highly likely that the Dark Lord will return and soon but my position as spy is precarious with what Pettigrew witnessed before he escaped so I need to gain all the information I can before his return in case I am no longer available as spy." Snape took a deep breath but past experience warned Remus not to say anything in sympathy for Snape, it would not be appreciated. "Also Albus wants to start up the Order of the Phoenix again, a pre-emptive measure, something which both Black and I agree is necessary."

"So what you are saying is that the Order of Phoenix will be started up again and between that, your spy work and your duties as a teacher and Head of House that you will not have time to brew the Wolfsbane I need as well." Remus summed up. "Perfectly understandable Severus, I will start to purchase it from the apothecary at once." Remus smiled at Snape who looked stunned for a moment before covering it with a sneer.

"Don't be stupid Lupin that would cost the Earth. Even if you saved all year and used your salary from next year as well it won't be long before you can't afford all the doses you need and you have witnessed the consequences when you miss just one dose." Remus looked alarmed and very pale.

"Then what do you propose?" He asked, finally seeing what Severus was trying to say.

"I will collect the ingredients, if it really matters that much to you, you can pay for them, but then I get another brewer to make the Wolfsbane potion which will cut the cost."

"That does seem to be a good idea, but you could have done this without me knowing and if the brewer is someone you trusted then it would not have any effect on me or the Order as a whole. Who's the brewer Severus?" Remus asked abruptly.

"One of my best students, she received an O in both her O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S and underneath her annoying exterior, I trust her to brew the Wolfsbane correctly."

"Who Severus?" Remus was tense now, Snape would not be dancing around the subject, something he rarely did, unless there was a very good reason for it.

"Nymphadora Tonks." Was his only answer.

"No." Remus refused straight away. "She's too close, she will guess and that could mean that she would refuse to brew it and we will be straight back to square one." He explained at Snape's narrow-eyed stare.

"I will explain before she agrees to brew it. Or better still you can tell her." Snape suggested mockingly and this time it was Remus who threw a glare his way.

"There has to be another brewer, someone else you can use." He said flatly.

"All the other brewers are either Death Eaters or Death Eater sympathisers who will get immediately suspicious if I ask them to brew Wolfsbane, especially when they know I am capable. As much as I hate to say it, Nymphadora is our best option. She is one of the people Albus is planning to ask to join the Order and after some time, she will guess. Lupin it's only a matter of time and I'm sure she would like to hear it from you." Remus looked resigned yet stubborn, as if he knew that he had been backed into a corner but was still planning on fighting desperately. "I have enough for one more full moon, you need to tell her by then or I will do it myself." With that last comment he swept out of the room, cloak billowing behind him.

At the Headmaster's office, things were going just as well for Sirius and Harry.

"What do you mean that Harry has to go back to the Dursleys?" Sirius asked tightly, hand on Harry's shoulder as he was sat in front of the Headmaster's desk.

"I mean that there is blood protection started by Lily when she died to save Harry and cemented by Petunia when she took Harry in. Admittedly I thought she would accept him as a member of a family but the protection still stands. It saved your life Harry back with Quirrel and is very possible that it will save you again."

"What do you mean saved his life back with Quirrel?" Sirius asked, confused at the mention of his godson's life back before they met.

"He was someone taken in by Voldemort and his mother's protection kept Harry safe from him." Dumbledore explained and Harry chipped in,

"He couldn't touch me Sirius, it hurt him to touch my skin." Sirius nodded, not completely understanding but realising anything that saved Harry's life could not be that bad.

"It is just until the end of July, it will give you time to settle into life not on the run Sirius before Harry comes to stay with you. And Harry you shall be collected before your birthday, I promise." Still wary but more accepting than they were before, the two males nodded.

"We need to talk about this Albus." Sirius finally said, glancing at Harry, who was staring hard at the floor.

"Take all the time you need."

Instead of following the route Ron and Hermione had taken earlier to the castle grounds, Sirius led Harry towards the seventh floor where there was a room which looked remarkably like the Gryffindor common room.

"I didn't know this existed." Harry murmured, staring around in awe.

"It's called the Room of Requirement or the Come and Go Room, it turns into what you need." Sirius explained briefly before motioned to Harry to sit while he picked one of the armchairs nearest the fire.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Quirrel." Harry rushed and Sirius looked surprised.

"Don't worry about it Harry, you've only been able to freely talk to me for a few days now, I don't expect a complete rundown of your life before we met. However the Dursleys are one of those important issues I need to know about."

"They're nothing to worry about Sirius, honestly. The Dursleys just aren't that nice." Harry said quickly, his eyes avoiding Sirius'.

"You are just like your father Harry." Surprised, Harry made eye contact with Sirius who was looking uncommonly grave. "You can't lie to those who know you."

"I'm not lying! They aren't very nice and there is nothing to worry about. I can handle going back for a couple of weeks." Harry replied stubbornly.

"It doesn't matter whether you can handle it or not, it's whether you want to go back or not. I know that two weeks with my family I could handle but it would definitely not be pleasant and I would hate it." Sirius said passionately.

"So your family wasn't that nice either? Tonks told me that the Blacks were like the Malfoys, the worst of purebloods." Sirius nodded at Harry's observation.

"They were, their pureblood mania drove me to run away at sixteen. Anyone who would speak out against them or did something like marry a non-pureblood were blasted off the family tree and disowned. Tonks' mum married Ted Tonks a Muggle-born and was disowned because of it. They were one of the darkest families in Britain but now it is just me, Andromeda, Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and Nymphadora Tonks that fall under the Black name. Of course there is Black blood in all the pureblood families your grandmother was a Black as was Ron's grandmother but the difference was the his grandmother was disowned for marrying Muggle lover, Septimus Weasley." Sirius was about to explain more to the interested Harry before catching himself. "But we can always learn about my family, after all Grimmauld Place is a living memorial to the Black family, what we are talking about is your family."

"They're not my family. Ron and Hermione are." Harry said stubbornly and Sirius understood.

"Harry how did the Dursleys treat you?" He asked slowly.

"When I got my Hogwarts letter they were so scared of the address that they moved me out of the cupboard under the stairs into Dudley's second bedroom. Up until I went to school, I thought that everyone's family was like the Dursleys with one child being spoilt beyond all recognition and one doing all the chores and being punished for what the other child did. They're not that bad, I mean it's not like they abuse me or anything but they are not all that nice and I don't particularly want to go back to them, but Death Eaters are worse so if going back protects me from them, then I'll do it. Being out for my birthday would be different, I'll like that." Harry said in a rush, trying to make Sirius understand that although the Dursleys were bad, the fact that he was there for a shorter time and knew it, was good enough for him.

"They made you sleep in the cupboard under the stairs while Dudley had two bedrooms? You did all the chores and got the blame for what Dudley did?" Sirius stated, angry growing slowly as what he was saying sank in.

"It wasn't that bad Sirius, I mean it's not like they hit me constantly or anything." Harry reassured his godfather.

"Constantly?" Sirius demanded, picking up on the one word that Harry hoped he would gloss over.

"Just once or twice and after that I learned to duck." Harry explained and Sirius' eyes widened. "Please Sirius calm down." He begged, Sirius looked like a bull ready to charge.

"Okay Harry." He took a deep breath. "If you're really okay with going to the Dursleys then I won't raise a fuss." Harry let out a breath, relieved. "Of course I will be having a nice little chat with your relatives."

"Sirius?" Harry asked and Sirius bared his teeth in a manic grin.

"Don't worry Harry I'll be perfectly civil. No hexing, jinxing or cursing, I promise."

That evening after Harry met up with Ron and Hermione, celebrating their exam results, Sirius grabbed Remus and started to drag him down to the dungeons.

"Sirius what are you doing?" Remus asked again as they arrived outside of Snape's office door.

"I'll explain to both of you." Sirius answered tensely before knocking hard on the door.

"Come in!" An irritated voice reached them and Sirius marched in, still dragging Remus.

"Any particular reason you decided to come down here and disturb me Black?" Severus snapped.

"You need to come with us when Harry goes back to the Dursleys." Snape's eyebrows shot up as did Remus'.

"Why?" Snape asked neutrally.

"They treat Harry horribly and he's going back there. He had the hope of escaping his relatives and then Dumbledore smashed it into the dirt." Sirius pointed out.

"How bad are we talking here Sirius?" Remus asked quietly, balling his fists but keeping his face composed. Snape's face had gone blank.

"Giving him a cupboard as a bedroom, taking away his meals, making him do all the chores, reminding him over and over again that he is not part of the family, that he is an unwanted burden." Sirius rattled off angrily and Remus shifted.

"He told you this?"

"Some and I guessed the rest." Sirius gave his friend a hard smile, no matter how large the gap had grown over the years, he still knew that to his friend nothing mattered more than Harry's welfare and happiness. He stayed away for the first few years because Dumbledore had convinced him that was what was best and he would probably hate a small part of himself forever for doing that, especially since the Dursleys turned out to be less than perfect.

"Well I could always do with a trip to Petunia." Snape said carefully and the other two men stared at him in surprise.

"Just like that? I don't have to blackmail or bribe you or anything?" Sirius asked, looking at Snape as if he was a clone designed to confuse him. Snape threw him a look.

"I'm sure Lily would want Petunia to be looking after her son like he was her own and I intend to inform her of this." Snape said loftily and Sirius smiled, a devious, cat-like grin.

"You're going to lay on the guilt aren't you?" He asked in an admiring tone.

"And if not, then use threats." Remus finished and though Snape sneered at the twin-like act, he nodded.

"I think it's only fair. Of course we also need to lay some spells that enable fair treatment of Harry and I don't trust you to lay them well." He said bluntly and though Sirius bristled, he did not react apart from to grin.

"Glad to have you in on it Sevvie."

"Don't call me Sevvie." Snape hissed but Sirius was unrepentant.

"So now we just have to decide on how far we should go." He said, slightly happier now.

**For Sirius' wand I did some research into woods and cores and decided to give him an alder wand with dragon heartstring/unicorn hair core then I found this test to create your magic wand. I got into the mind-set of Sirius (sort of) and answered the questions. Guess the answer: oak or alder wand with dragon heartstring core. Just a weird coincidence I thought I would share with you. **

**I like the start of the chapter and then dislike the end sort of and the incident that makes Snape and Sirius a little nicer to each other will be mentioned some other time. **

**Review please! **


	5. Goodbye

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. **

**Note: The last chapter! *Sniff* **

**Goodbye**

"Albus has asked you to alert Arthur, Molly, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora about the Order, Lupin." Snape greeted Remus with when he walked into his quarters while Remus and Sirius were eating breakfast.

"Good morning to you to Severus." Remus answered back and Sirius sniggered at the two of them.

"Black." Snape greeted and Sirius grinned at his old enemy.

"Did you hear the news Snape?" Sirius asked. "My trial was yesterday and I am now a free man! Plus I got compensation and everyone keeps apologising to me. Don't start Remus." Sirius halted his friend who had opened his mouth to apologise again. "Even Dumbledore apologised."

"Congratulations." Snape said dryly. "Is that the right sentiment?"

"And I've got custody of Harry! In the next two weeks we can sort out Grimmauld Place for him so he can stay there." Sirius said optimistically, not paying any attention to his surroundings.

"Good luck with that." Snape said, his nose wrinkling. The one time he had gone to Grimmauld Place he had noticed how the damp house had just simply oozed evil.

"It does seem a bit of a tall order." Remus agreed. "But Sirius is confident with a few scouring charms that it will suitable for human habitation."

"I am right here you know." Sirius reminded the two men. "So any reason you have come down here? I mean the whole thing with the Order could have waited for a few hours until Dumbledore next saw Remus."

"Have you told Nymphadora yet?" Snape asked, answering Sirius in a roundabout way, and Remus froze for a split second before carrying on as normal.

"I'm actually looking at the prices of the Wolfsbane in Diagon Alley." He answered calmly causing Snape to stop and look at him in frustration.

"Tell me Black." He turned to Sirius, who looked thoroughly confused due to Remus not having time, nor the inclination, to fill him in. "Is Lupin always this irrational when a perfectly sensible answer is suggested?"

"If it's about his furry little problem then yes. All the time. We tried to beat it out of him but it didn't work. And what's this about the Wolfsbane?" Sirius piped up.

"Severus, due to his Order duties and his spying as well as his teaching will not have time next year to brew the Wolfsbane as well, so he volunteered to find another brewer for me. It was Nymphadora." Remus finished heavily and Sirius smiled as he understood.

"I didn't know little Nymphie could brew." Sirius said in wonder.

"What you don't know could fill a book Sirius." A feminine voice came from the doorway where one Nymphadora Tonks stood. All three of them jumped.

"Nymphadora. I thought you were supposed to be in the Hospital Wing." Remus said pleasantly, offering one of the chairs to her.

"Madam Pomfrey was driving me mad, I'm perfectly fine but she wouldn't let me out of bed." Tonks said exasperated, flopping down into the offered chair. "Then I heard my name and got curious. Why are you talking about me?"

"I was telling them about your Potions skills, which strangely improved drastically in O.W.L and N.E.W.T years." Snape eyed Tonks who laughed.

"Well just doing the actual potion got boring after a while so I decided to improvise a little bit. Of course most of these improvs turned out badly but it was much more fun. But of course for exams I did the right Potions." She confided in the three of them.

"I knew that someone couldn't mess up that much on purpose. Well, maybe Neville Longbottom." Snape said thoughtfully and Tonks wagged her finger at him.

"Now Severus I heard about your tendency to bully poor Neville. Shame on you."

"He's a menace to himself and everyone around him." Snape retorted flatly.

"He would probably do better if you didn't stand over him all the time." Tonks reminded him.

"How do you know if I do that or not? After all you're not in my class." Sirius and Remus' heads swivelled as if they were watching a tennis match.

"I was and you did the same thing to Charlie except he was way too calm and just ignored you the whole time." Tonks replied, helping herself to some of Sirius' breakfast. "Why are you not down in the Great Hall?"

"Too much attention, Sirius is still a very sensationalist figure at the moment." Remus answered.

"Still the centre of attention." Sirius boasted and the other three rolled their eyes.

"That reminds me, Mum wants to see you. Do the whole apologise, cry and hug thing." Tonks said, stealing a piece of bacon from Remus' plate.

"How does Sirius being the centre of attention remind you of that?" Remus asked confused but Sirius cut the answer off.

"She really needs to stop that, she did the right thing." Sirius answered and Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Still doesn't believe that." She answered, attempting to go for Remus' food again but he lifted his plate away. "Anyway why are you here Sevvie?"

"For second cousins you two are very alike." Snape commented.

"Thanks." Tonks smiled and Snape snapped,

"That wasn't a compliment!" He shut his eyes as if trying to calm himself down. "Anyway I came here to tell Lupin that he has to talk to you. About your potions skills and a task of Dumbledore's." He abruptly stood up, ignoring Remus' horrified look. "Come on Black I have to show you a potion for our task later today." Realization made Sirius' eyes widened and he snagged a piece of toast before hurrying out the door.

"No Sirius!" Remus said desperately but Sirius just gave him a 'carry on' gesture before shutting the door behind him. His best friend sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Wow do I have a disease or something?" Tonks asked sarcastically but Remus managed to catch the tinge of hurt behind her tone.

"It's not that Tonks. There are just some things about me that I rather not tell you and they want me to tell you so by doing this they are hoping to force me into acting." Remus explained and Tonks nodded.

"Is this about you being a werewolf?" She asked and Remus' brain shuddered to a complete stop.

"W-What?" He stuttered, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Dumbledore came to talk to me, the conversation went to you being DADA teacher, it turned to the fact that you were resigning, I asked why, he replied. In a very roundabout way, said you felt guilty for the threat of harm that could have happened to Harry, Hermione and Ron as well as me and last night was a full moon, I put the pieces together. And you just confirmed it." She explained in a matter-of-fact way.

"You've got to be kidding me." Remus said, his thought processes still recovering.

"What's this about my potions skills?" Tonks asked, swerving onto a different subject.

"Well Severus is going to be busy with other duties and he was going to ask you to brew the Wolfsbane potion for me." When there was silence, Remus carried on, "All the ingredients will be provided of course, it's just the brewing charge is very steep, but if you don't have the time its fine." Remus took a deep breath, more to stop himself babbling than anything else.

"I'll do it Remus." Tonks said, amusement clear in her voice.

"What? Why?" He asked.

"Because you're my friend and if I can help you in some way, I will. Now what's this about a task of Dumbledore's?" She prompted and Remus shook himself.

"Well there is a sort of vigilante group called the Order of the Phoenix that battles Voldemort and the Death Eaters run by Dumbledore. He wanted to know if you wanted to join."

"I would, but does he really think he will come back so soon?" Tonks asked, her brow creasing in worry.

"With Pettigrew probably on his way back to him already, it won't be long." Remus answered gravely.

"What would I be required to do?" She asked.

"With you working in the Ministry, just keeping your ear out for the gossip and sometimes some missions, following known Death Eaters, stuff like that." Remus explained.

"Kinda sounds like the stuff I do in the Aurors at the moment." Tonks commented. "So who else is in this Order at the moment?"

"Well I'm not quite sure, Dumbledore asked me to invite certain people, Kingsley Shacklebolt is on the list, do you know him?" Remus asked, interested and Tonks perked up.

"Yeah I do, he's my partner. So at least I'll know someone else there apart you three." She looked relieved and Sirius stuck his head around the door.

"Moony they're getting on the train now. We've gotta go." He hissed and Remus nodded before standing up.

"Excuse me Nymphadora, I have some business to attend to." Tonks watched amused as he hurried out the door.

"I'm sure I'll get the story later." She muttered to herself, stirring herself to go and visit Madam Pomfrey.

In Little Whinging, three wizards apparated with quiet cracks, sounding unnaturally loud in the still summer air.

"Remember to lay down the wards first." Snape muttered as they strode along the street to Number Four, Privet Drive.

"I know, I know Snape." Sirius snapped, his muscles tensing as they prepared for the confrontation that was imminent.

"And as soon as Sirius lays down the wards, we'll let the Dursleys know we're there. Here's the place." Remus said calmly, staring up at a house that was no different from the house next to it, or indeed any of the houses on the street.

"Creepy." Sirius muttered and Snape glared at him. "Alright I'm doing it." He knelt down and using the cover of the bushes he drew his wand and did the movements required for casting a ward where magic within it would not be detected by the Ministry, an old Black secret. A few muttered words and it was set.

"Ready." Remus said, causing Snape to rap sharply on the door. A smiling blonde woman opened the door, her smile quickly fading as she saw Snape.

"You!" She hissed and Snape smiled, a grim animal-like smile.

"Hello Tuney. So glad you recognise me. Do you mind if we come in?" Petunia looked like she was about to refuse until she saw the curtain across the street twitch, as if someone was trying to look without being seen.

"Come in quickly." She gestured as if that would get them in quicker. When she had shut the door behind Sirius, she turned to them with a frown on her face. "What do you want?"

"Harry treated nicely." Sirius answered promptly.

"World peace." Snape answered dully.

"A miracle cure." Remus added. "But as the last two you can't help us with, we're going to have to focus on the first one."

"The boy is treated fine. He gets enough to eat and clothes to wear." Petunia snapped, wrapping her arms around her torso defensively.

"I've seen his clothes, little more than rags obviously meant for someone much bigger than him." Sirius retorted.

"And that's not counting the emotional abuse." Remus added evenly.

"His bedroom was a cupboard under the stairs." Sirius hissed, stepping up so he invaded Petunia's personal space. "My godson said that he slept in that until he got his Hogwarts letter at which point you only moved him because you were scared that someone would find out. Not out of the goodness of your heart." Petunia gasped as she recognised him, the haircut and shave had done a lot to disguise Sirius.

"You're Sirius Black!" She pointed a shaking finger at him and Sirius looked dumbfounded for a moment, wiping the look of rage off his face that had allowed Petunia to recognise him.

"Muggles were alerted that you had escaped." Remus informed Sirius quietly.

"I was that dangerous huh?" Sirius asked humourlessly. "Don't worry Petunia I was found innocent of all crimes. However I threatened the last person who tried to harm Harry and so help me I will do the same to you. Where's your husband?" Sirius asked rapidly changing subject and successfully confusing Petunia.

"He's in here." Petunia went through a door to the sitting room where the TV was blaring loudly. She switched it off.

"Mum!" Dudley whined and Vernon opened his mouth to complain until he saw the three men, all of which had their wands out.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He yelled and the three men started what they had planned for the Dursleys for the past few days.

"Well since we can't trust you to act like decent human beings around a teenage boy, we're laying some safeguards." Remus said amicably, flicking his wand slightly at the three Dursleys. "This spell means you can't call Harry anything rude or out of line otherwise for the next twenty four hours you will tell exactly what is on your minds at the most inconvenient moment." It was more like forty-eight hours but the Dursleys were not going to find out about that.

"The spell that Black is laying down at the moment is that if you ever hurt Potter in any way with your hand or weapon, you will receive the nose of a pig until you feel truly sorry for what you have done to Potter." Snape explained, in a slightly bored tone. "Of course with some of you there might not be a difference." He sneered at the male Dursleys, Vernon glared back while Dudley dropped his eyes to the floor. Sirius stowed his wand away and came up beside Snape.

"Snape here is a Potions Master and I'm sure that there are a few irritating potions he can feed you. You might want to watch what you eat." Sirius hinted and the blonde boy went pale. "That's only if you do anything to hurt Harry." He went for a slightly reassuring tone of voice which seemed to frighten the Dursleys even more.

"What really surprises me is how you can treat a child like this, especially one of your own blood." Remus asked, slightly cynically as if he already knew the answer.

"You can't pick your family." Petunia spoke up in a high, shrill voice.

"Otherwise I'm sure Lily would never have chosen you, someone who treat her son as if he had some sort of contagious disease." Snape retorted, utter disdain dripping from each word.

"She didn't chose you either! She chose that horrid Potter boy!" Petunia shouted triumphantly and Snape's lips thinned.

"Don't you insult James in front of us!" Sirius thundered, quietening Petunia once more. Seeing this confrontation getting rapidly out of control Remus started to close it up.

"Anyway Harry will be staying with you for the next two weeks, he shall be visited by one of us everyday to make sure he's doing okay."

"You can't do that!" Vernon blustered, standing up, and Sirius stepped up, towering over him.

"You hurt Harry, I'm allowed to do whatever the bloody hell I like." He answered bluntly and gave Vernon his most menacing escaped-convict look which caused the larger man to whimper and sit down again.

"In roughly five hours, Harry will come back on the train and arrive at King's Cross Station. You shall pick him up and welcome him home. Then over the next fortnight, you should play by the rule, 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all', believe me we shall know. On the 15th July we shall pick up Harry at which point you shall not see Harry until next summer. Is that simple enough or do you need smaller words?" Snape asked sarcastically and the two older Dursleys flushed, the younger one cowered into the sofa.

"Now this was deeply unpleasant for all of us, so don't force us to do this again." Remus said amicably, Sirius' threatening glower backing up the threat behind the words.

"You won't come out whole next time." Sirius bared his teeth at the Dursleys in a manic sort of grin that made them flinch before exiting the Dursley house, followed by Snape and Remus.

Five hours later Harry said goodbye to his friends and walked cautiously up to his uncle.

"There you are-" Vernon started before halting. "I mean welcome back." He said around gritted teeth and Harry looked up at him in horror. What had happened? Then he remembered what Sirius had said and thought that he might just go along with it for the moment. He waved one last goodbye to Ron before following Uncle Vernon to the car, strangely light-hearted at the thought that in a little over two weeks, he would be living with his godfather.

Harry day dreamed all the way to Privet Drive, barely noticing the black dog on the opposite of the street outside Mrs Figg's house, until it barked. He smiled at Sirius before going into the Dursleys house still grinning happily. For once summer might not be the worst time of the year.

**This is the last ever chapter of Mercy, it's quite sad. Of course there might be a sequel but I have no ideas for it plus I'm stretched on time so it will be a while. I wanting to do the JK thing of ending the story when Harry goes home for the summer. **

**I hope the Dursleys' lesson was what you wanted, although hopefully not what you expected because I was trying to be slightly unique. **

**What has happened in my life since I last posted? Well the last two weeks has been exam, exam, uni interview, exam, uni interview. The first uni interview I had went horrible which was a pain because that was my first choice, but the next one went better so that was okay. But then I got an offer for my first choice uni so I'm really happy at the moment! Plus it's my birthday on Sunday so I'm looking forward to that. **

**Anyway review please! **


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